Controller



No. 627,376. Patented June 20, |899.

T. VON ZWEIGBERGK. CGNTRULLEB.

(Application med Feb. 27,1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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No. 627,376. Patented June 20, |899. T. VON ZWEIGBERGK.

GUNTROLLER.

(Application tiled Feb. 27, 1899.) (Nolodel.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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Nunms sums co. PHDTULWNO., WASHINGTON. n. c.

UNITED STATES y'PATENT OFFICE.

THORS'IEN VOY ZWEIGBERGK, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

v'OOAITROLLEFL SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 627,876, dated June 20, 1899;

Application filed February 27, 1899. Serial No. '706.962- (No model.)

and exact description, reference being had tov the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to controllers primarily adapted for railway-motors. objects is to provide an arrangement whereby the usual governing-switch may be operated by a separate brake-applying handle for controlling a brake whether the car is going forward or backward, thus obviating the necessity of a separate brake-governing cylinder or special brake positions of the governingswitch or its handle. l

Another object is to provide a controller adapted to govern and reverse motors and establish an electric brake, which shall have a separate handle to be operated for each of these three results, butin which only two controlling-cylinders are employed, thus reduc ing the size and cost of the controller without altering its method of operation by the motorman.

Anotherobject is to so connect the parts of the controllerand to insert cut-out switches at such points thatif either motor burns out it may be conveniently cut out and the controller used on the other motor.

The invention may be best summarized as consisting in the combination of means hereinafter described, and definitely set out in the claims.

In the drawings, which clearly disclose my invention, Figure l is a front elevation of the controller, with the usual cover removed. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan with the top cover removed. Figs. 4 and 5 are horizontal sections on the lines 4 a and 5 5, respectively, of Fig. l. All the figures above mentioned show the governing and braking parts of the controller at the olf y,

position and the reversing parts at the aheac position. Fig. 6 is a detached View of the yoke for interlocking the operating handles, as hereinafter described. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic plan of the gears operating One of its' the main controller cylinder, and Fig. 8 is a diagram of the controller and its connections with the. motors and resistance. l

The controller shown includes three operating-handles connected, as hereinafter explained, with a governing and reversing switch, each consisting of a row of contactiingersuand a cooperating contact-cylinder, the term cylinder being used in its ordinary acceptation in the controller art and meaninga shaft and various contact-seg-` ments carried thereby throughr the intervention of suitable insulation..

H represents a suitable frame which supports the various parts of the controller. The shaft of the main or governing cylinder J is journaled in suitable bearings carried by the frame, and may be rotated therein. .On this shaft are the contact-segments t" to @'15, which are separated from the shaft'by the insulated sleeve j and divided into groups by the insulating-collars The plates t" to t are all electrically connected together and likewise the plates lo to 13 and the plates t to 15, and each of these three groups are insulated from each other and from the shaft. These plates engage with contact-fingers which are shown in the drawings at K. They are connected with different portions of the resistance R and with the reversing-switch, as shown in the diagram Fig. S.

The controller is of the series-parallel type, and its electrical operation will be readily understood from the diagram Fig. 8, wherein T represents the line from the trolley; G, the line to the ground; R' to R5, the lines to and from the resistance. A AA F FF and A2 AA2 F2 FF2 represent the lines to and from gear js, which is adapted to mesh with a gear Ico p on the shaft P, to the upper end of which -is secu red a handle p', which is the operatinghandle for governing the motors. lf this handle p is turned, the gear at the lower end of the shaft is turned, and this turns the gearj,

.thus rotating` the main controller-cylinder.

A detent-wheel p2 on a shaft Pand a springpressed rollerpengaging therewith,holds the shaft until proper force is applied to move it.

The reversing-cylinder is shownat the right of the main cylinder. Itis built up of a shaft Q, around which is placed an insulating sleeve q, around which sleeve are placed hubs q', separated from each other by the insulated collar q2 and carrying the contact-segments. The arrangement and connection of the segments on this cylinder are such that the switch may connect either contiguous contact-lingers together or alternate iingers. This may be easily understood from Fig. 8, wherein the double horizontal lines g4 represent the arms projecting from a hub q and supporting the plates and electrically connecting them together, and the single horizontal lines q3represent electrical connections between the single segments on eitherside of the double segments without touching the latter, the double segmentsbeing each supported from one hub and eXtendingover,butnottouching,the nexthub.

The lines qrepresent electrical connections between alternate segments, as shown.

The turning of the reversing switch is caused by the turning of the notched head q, attached to the shaft Q. A usually-notched detent-wheel Q7 on the shaft Q and engaged by the spring-pressed roller Q8 holds the wheel in the usual desired position, but allows it to be moved therefrom by a pull of the proper amount. The head qG is turned by the engagement with one of its notches gf Q10 by one of the rollers Z Z2, carried on the under side of the plate Z, which is secured to the shaft L, journaled in bearings carried by the frame and having at its upper end the reversing-lever Z3. This lever when operated partially rotates the shaft L and turns the plate Z, and its rollers engage with the notches of the head q, turning the reversing-cylinder. The plate Z and lever Z3 are normally held in place by the roller Z5, spring-pressed into one of the notches in the plate Z.

The braking in the controller shown is accomplished by opening the connection from the trolley and reversing the motors and closing their circuit upon themselves through the resistance, thus causing them to generate cu rrent which retards them and the carriage. As the electromotive force dies down from the decreasing armature speed the resistance is successively cut out. The car is thus brought to a stop by the current which its motors generare. The establishment of the brake connections is provided for by such connection between the brake-handle and the governing-cylinder and reversing-cylinder that when the brake-handle is turned the reversing-cylinder will be turned to open the connection to the trolley and connect the reversin g-cylin der with the ground, (with which the last motor is also connected,) and the further movement of the brake-handle will move the governing-cylinder to cut out resistance.

As will be seen from the drawings, the teeth on the gear-wheel QJ are stripped at the point which comes opposite the gear-wheel jf' when the governing-handle is at the off position, and thus the governing-cylinder is rendered independent ofthat handle and may be turned Without disturbing it. Likewise when the reversing-lever is either at the ahead or reverse positions the rollers carried by its plate Z are disengaged from the head Q6, and the reversing-cylinder may be-turned independentl y of the reversing-lever. Now the brakelever, which is designated u, is secured at the top of a short shaft U, journaled in suitable bearings and carrying a detent-wheel u', with which a usual spring-pressed roller u2 engages, holding itin diiferent positions,eXcept against a reasonably-heavy pull. This shaft U cara ries a gear n3, which may engage with the gear f. The teeth on the gear n3 are also stripped opposite the gearj, (when the gear n3 is in the oft position,) so that it normally does not interfere with the operation of that gearj5 orthe main cylinder.

Carried on the under side of the detentwheel tt' is a roller a5, which is adapted to engage with one of the notches qugz of the head Q6, but is normally free therefrom. Thus when the brake-lever is at its off position it and its immediately-connected parts are independent of and do not interfere with the governing or reversing parts. Vhen, however, it is desired to apply the electric brake, the lever is drawn toward the operator into the position marked Vl in Fig. 2. This causes the roller a5 to engage with one of the notches in the head g and-shifts the reversing-switch, so as to open the line to the trolley and sub stitute a line tothe ground therefor and reverses the motors, and after this is done the teeth of the gear n3 engage with the gearj5 and rotate the main cylinder, so as to establish the connection through the resistance, and a continued rotation of the handle u cuts out resistance until the position G is reached, when the whole resistance is cut out and the motors are simply short'circuited. In this position the handle must stop,as the last notch on the detent-wheel u/ is reached, and, as shown, it is of such construction that the detent-wheel cannot be revolved beyond it, the roller u2 preventing. In the construction shown thevdetent-wheel j3 is cut away at'jG to allow room for the roller M5 in this sixth position.

The opening of the trolley-line and the connection of the conductor it usually connects with with the ground, is established by the upper portion of the reversing-switch. As will be seen by the diagram Fig. S, in either the ahead or the reverse positions the plate Q13 or the plate qu connects the `line from the IIO brake positions the line from th'e trolley is open and the plates Q14 or Q16 connect the line R6 with the ground G. With the exception of changing the line R6 from the trolley to the ground the connections for the ahead position ofthe reversing-switch and for the electricbrake reverse are the same, and likewise those for electric-brake ahead and reverse.

It will be seen that if the reversing-switch has been turned to the reverse position by the movement of the reversing-lever it will be moved to a different position by the brakelever a than it the reversing-lever were at the ahead'position. This is caused by the roller a5 engaging with the notch Q1? of the head Q6 instead of with the notch Q11. Thus if the reversing-lever moves the reversingswitch to the ahead position it leaves it in a position to be engaged by the roller a5 and moved by it to the electric-brake-ahead position, which, as shown by the diagram, is between the ahead and reverse positions, whereas if the reversing-lever has left the switch in the reverse position the same move ment of electric-brake handle moves it to the electric-brake-reverse position, which is still farther to the left.

In order that neither the electric-brake handle nor the reversing-handle may be operated when the governing-handle has the current on and in order that, likewise, the governing-handle and the reversing-handle may not be operated when the brake is applied and that neither the governing-handle nor the brake-handle may be operated when the reversing-lever is at the off position, (thus allowing the simple removal of the handle Z3 at the oft' position to lock the whole machine,) the following system of interlocking members is provided: On the shafts P, U, and L are collars Q94, a4, and Z4, respectively, and a yoke V, formed as shown in Fig. 6, rides above the gears and loosely,

takes around each of said shafts and has on it rollers n 'U2 v3, which are adapted to engage, respectively, with the notches in the collars p4, a4, and Z4. As shown, the notches to be engaged by the rollers are on theleft-hand side of the shafts U and L and on the righthand side of the shaft P. Thus when the -roller o is in engagement with the notch of the collar 194 (which it is only when the governing-handle is at the off position) the rollers o2 es are out of the notches of the other two collars. XVhen, however, the governinglever is turned to any operative position, the collar p4, acting on the roller e', forces the whole yoke to the left and the rollers o2, Us take into the notches -in the other two collars, the notch in the collar ui being such that it holds the braking-lever at the ot't' position, and there being two notches in the collar Z4, one for the ahead position of the re versing-lever and one for the reverse position. Thus when the governing-handle is at an operative position neither the braking-handle nor the reversing-handle can be moved.

If the brake-lever be turned to a brake position, a portion of the collar a4 where there is no notch bears against the roller o2 and prevents the shifting of the yoke and locks the governinghandle against movement, while a portion of the head Q6, which the rollers on the plate Zare not adapted to take into, comes into the path of those rollers and prevents movement of that plate, and thereby locks the reversing-lever, so that after the braking-lever has started it alone can move. When the reversing-switch is at the ahead position, the portion of the head Q6 which comes into the path of the roller Z' by the turning of the brake-lever is that where the notch Q9 is located, andin order that the roller Z may not take into this notch the notch is is only made of half-depth and the roller Z2 is made short enough to go into it, while the roller Z cannot. When the reversing-lever is at the reverse position, the roller Z2 is in the position in front of the notch Q9, and the movement of the brake-lever brings a concentric portion of the head Q6 beyond the notch in .front of the roller, and thus locks the parts.

Vhen the governing-handle is at the off position, if the reversing-lever is moved to its off position apart of the collar Z4 which has no notch comes opposite the roller v3 and prevents the shifting of the yoke, and this locks the governing-handle against movement at the same time the head Q6 on the reversingswitch is turned just enough to bring the projecting portion between the notches Q11 and Q12 into the pat-h of the roller a5, so that the braking-lever cannot be turned. Thus the off position of the reversing-lever locks the whole machine.

In order to provide simple and efcient means for cutting out either motor when it burns out, switches are connected with the` lines from the main controller to the reversing-switch and from the field of the first motor as follows: The line B', which conveys the current from the plate 9 to the reversingswitch, passes through the switch S. The line leading back from the eld of the rst motor to the controller has connected to it the switch S4, which may connect it to the ground Gr. The line leading from the controllerback to the second motor passes through the s witch S2, and the lineleading from the-line B back to the controller (for use when the motors are to be in parallel)` passes through the switch S3. The switches S S2 are connected by a cross-bar to operate in unison, and likewise the switches S3 S4. When the switches S S2 open the lines from B to B and from E to C, it connects together (by the conductor s) Athe line B and C-that is, the line which normally goes to the first motor is connected to go directly to the second motor. lf both the switches are closed, which is the position shown in the drawings, the current after passing through such portion of the resistance as IOO IIO

the position of the main controller causes goes from the contact-plate fi", via the line B', through the switch SQ around the armature K and field or" the rst motor, and kback via the 5 line F to the plate 13, (if the main controller i is in series position,) from there to the plate 1212, via the line E, through the switch S2 to the line C, and around the armature and eld of the second motor to the ground.

are simply thrown over to the left and are connected by the line 3, and thus the line B is connected direct-ly with the line C, and the current passes from the controller through the second motor to the' ground, leaving the 1 It the second motor burns rThis coniirst motor out. out, the switches S3 S4 are opened.

nects `the line F', retunni-ng from the rfirst motor, directly with the ground, and thus they lfirst motor is in and the second motor is idle. 1

When vthe controller is in parallel position, the current passes from it via the line B to the line B and through the first motor to line F', to plates @'14 and 15 and the ground, and

also from the line B beyond the switch S' back through the switch S3 to the line D, to the' plates iw tu, vto the line E, and back through the switch S2 to the line C and through the second motor to the ground. Thus the lmotors are connected in parallel. motor burns out, the rst switch is opened and the current passes directly from B via switch S', connection s, and switch S2 to the line C and through the second motor to the ground, while the line D back to the controller for the second motor is of no avail, since the switch S is opened. Thus when` the iirst motor is out the parallel positions operate the secon-d motor the same as thecorresponding-series positions. Likewise if the second motor burns out switches S3 S4 are opened and the 1in-e from the controller passes i directly to the first motor and through it to the ground yand the line tothe second motor is opened vby the switch S3, and thus when this motor is cutout the connection throughthe other motor is the same for the parallel positions of the lcontroller as for the corresponding series positions. that when either `motoris cutout the remain- -ing motormay be operated by the controller the .same on the parallel positions as on the corresponding series positions. rlhis is important, vfor although there is no necessity; for turning the controller to the parallel -po- If now' the motor No. l burns out, vthe switches S' S2 v If the vfirst` It thus results v ders whereby one shaft may operate vone cylinder, another shaft the other cylinder and the third shaft the two cylinders, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a motor, of a switch adapted to govern i-t, a switch adapt- .ed to reverse it, means for applying each of said switches separately, an independent lever or brake applying member,l and connecting means between the same and said two switches whereby the movement of said membermoves yboth of said switches to connect or govern the motor as an electric brake, substantially as described.

The combination of a governing-switch, a reversing-switch, and a separate brake-applying handle normally independent of the governing-switch and the reversing-switch but adapted to mo-ve both of said switches, substantially as described.

4. The combination ef a governing-switch, a reversing-switch, va brake-applying handle adapted 'to move both switches and means wherebyt-he movement of said handle to the same brake position moves the reversingswitch to different positions according to whether it was at the ahead or the reverse position, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a governing-switch and reversing-switch, three operating-'handles all independent ot said switches, one of said handles adapted to operate the governing-switch, one the reversing-switch, andthe other the two switches and thus apply and govern an electric brake, and means whereby the reversing-switch is turned to a different position by the brake-handle when the reversing-handle is at the ahead position than it is when the reversing-,handle is at the reverse position, substantially as described.

6. The combination ct' a governing-cylinder, a .reversing-cylinder, a pair of operating-1handles one for each cylinder, and a brakinghandle adapted to operate both of said cylinders Without disturbing their handles, substantially as described.

7. In a controller, incombinatioma governing-cylinder, a reversing-cylinder, a governing-handle, a reversing-handle, each of said vhandles being adapted to operate its respectivecylinder, a braking-handle, sui-tableeonnection between `the same and-the two cylinders wherebythe :braking-.handle is adapted -to-turn the reversing-.cylinder andthe governing-cylinder to apply and .govern an elecric brake, and means for preventin-g such operation when the governing-'handieis at an on position, substantially as described.

S. The combination of a reversing-switch, a plate rigid therewith, -a reversing-handle, a plate operated thereby, said twoplates having cooperative projections and-recesses whereby they may engage, a brake-applying-handle, a third vplate operated thereby and adapted to engage the plate on the reversing-switch, the position of-such engagementdepending upon the lposition in which the reversing-lever has IOO IIC

left the reversingswitch, substantially as described.

9. The combination of a controller-frame, a governing-cylinder and a reversing-cylinder suitably journaled therein, three independentshafts P, Il and L journaled in said frame, an independent operating-lever for each of said shafts, suitable connections between the shafts P and U and the governing-cylinder, and between the shafts U and L and the reversing-cylinder, whereby the shaft P may operate the governingcylinder, the shaft L the reversing-cylinder, and the shaft U the two cylinders, substantially as described.

l0. In a controller,the combination of a governing-cylinder, two shafts independent of the cylinder, one operated by a governing handle and the other by a braking-handle,and a suitable connection between each of said shafts and the governing-cylinder, whereby either handle may operate that cylinder, a collar on each of said shafts having a notch in it, suitable means, as rollers carried by a yoke, adapted to enter either notch but not both at the same time, and the turning of either collar operating to move said means out of the notch of that collar and `into the notch of the other collar, thus interlocking the shafts, substantially as described. I Il. A controllenframe, three independent shafts journaled therein, an independent lever for each of said shafts, said levers operating through said shafts to govern motors and reverse them and apply an electric brake respectively, each ot said shafts having on it a collar which has a notch with an inclined wall, in combination with a rigid yoke carrying rollers adapted to engage with said three notch es whereby the movement of any of said shafts forces the roller which is in its notch out of the same, thus obviating the necessity of a spring to give the yoke a determinate normal position out of engagement with any particular collar, substantially as described.

l2. The combination with a series-parallel controller for governing a pair of motors, of a cut-out switch for each motor and such connections that wheny either motor is cut. out by its cut-out switch the remaining motor may be operated on the parallel posit-ions of the controller the same as on the corresponding series positions, and thus locks preventing the turning of the controller to the parallel from the controller to place the motors in par-.`

allel, and switches in theselines which are adapted to open t-he series lines tothe first and second motors and connect the line normally for the first motor with the second motor, thus cutting out the first motor, and are also adapted to open the branch line mentioned and connect the line from the first motor back to the controller with the ground, thus cutting out the second motor, substantially as described.

14. The combination of a series-parallel governing-controller, a reversing-switch, a line B leading from the governing-controller to the reversing-switeh and passing through a switch S, lines leading from the reversingswitch to the first motor, a line I1" from the rst motor back to the controller, a switch Sl adapted to connect said line with the ground, a line as E adapted to carry the current from the governing-controller in series position through switch S2 to reversing-switch, lines from the reversing-switch passing to the second motor, a line from the second Inotor to- THORSTEN VON Z WEIGBERGK.

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. BATES, PHILIP E. KNowLToN.

IOG 

